Lifespan Development & Infant Psychology: Theories, Milestones, and Attachment

What are Freud's major stages of psychosexual development?

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Why did Freud believe early childhood experiences are important?

He believed early experiences shape later personality.

How do Freud's and Erikson's theories compare?

Both use stages and believe early experiences matter; Freud focused on sexual development, Erikson on social development.

What is the behavioral perspective on development?

Behavior is learned through experiences and the environment.

What is classical conditioning?

Learning through association.

What is operant conditioning?

Learning through rewards or punishment.

Why is the child considered an active learner in Piaget's theory?

Children actively build knowledge by exploring and interacting with their environment.

What is a schema?

A mental framework.

What is assimilation?

Adding new information to an existing schema.

What is accommodation?

Changing a schema.

What is the information-processing perspective?

It focuses on how people take in, remember, and use information.

What is a cohort?

People born around the same time.

What are the age ranges for prenatal development?

Conception to birth.

What are the age ranges for infancy/toddlerhood?

Birth to 2 years.

What are the age ranges for preschool?

2 to 6 years.

What are the age ranges for middle childhood?

6 to 11 years.

What are the age ranges for adolescence?

11 to 18 years.

What are the age ranges for young adulthood?

18 to 40 years.

What are the age ranges for middle adulthood?

40 to 65 years.

What are the age ranges for late adulthood?

65 years and older.

What influences development?

Genetics, environment, culture, and historical experiences.

What defines preterm infants?

Born before 37 weeks.

What defines post-term infants?

Born after 42 weeks.

What is the most favorable position for a baby at birth?

Head-down.

What is a reflex?

An automatic response.

Why are infant reflexes important?

They show that the nervous system is functioning properly.

What colors do newborns see best?

High-contrast patterns.

What is habituation?

Responding less to something after repeated exposure.

What are the major states of arousal in infancy?

Sleep, drowsiness, quiet alertness, active alertness, and crying.

What are the four developmental principles of physical growth?

Cephalocaudal, proximodistal, gross-to-fine, and simple-to-complex.

What are the major developmental milestones during infancy?

Head control, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking.

What is synaptic pruning?

The removal of unused neural connections.

What is the Sensorimotor Stage?

Birth to about 2 years; infants learn through their senses and actions.

What is object permanence?

Knowing an object still exists when unseen.

What is mental representation?

The ability to mentally think about something that is not present.

What is telegraphic speech?

Short speech using mainly important words.

What is attachment?

A strong emotional bond with a caregiver.

What is stranger anxiety?

Fear of unfamiliar people.

What is separation anxiety?

Distress when a caregiver leaves.

What are the major attachment styles?

Secure, avoidant, resistant/ambivalent, disorganized-disoriented.

What did Harlow conclude about contact comfort?

Physical comfort and closeness are important for attachment.

Describe easy babies.

Calm and adaptable.

Describe difficult babies.

Irritable and less adaptable.

Describe slow-to-warm-up babies.

Cautious and gradually adjusts.

What is goodness-of-fit?

The compatibility between a child's temperament and their environment.

What is Erikson's first psychosocial stage?

Trust vs. Mistrust.

What is Erikson's second psychosocial stage?

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt.